bmibaby has confirmed that Air Wales has terminated their contract with bmibaby and told them to refund all bookings after 23rd April. Air Wales operated the CDG route and bmibaby marketed and sold the flights. But now Air Wales has gone under, these flights will stop, leaving Cardiff, the Capital of Wales, without a direct flight to Paris. Obviously this cannot last, and I would think an airline is bound to snap this up very quickly. Only thing is, who? I can’t imagine Eastern operating it, and to be honest I wouldn’t want them to. The CDG service needs much more capacity than Eastern could offer. RE and WOW won’t operate it, because it doesn’t fit in with their existing route network. bmibaby is the most likely contender, but they don’t currently have enough a/c at CWL to operate it, and with their constant shortage of a/c across all bases I doubt they’ll have it before the winter season. TOM and FR won’t operate it, unless it’s part of a wider package of routes from the airport that’ll result in the creating of a base. FR has said that they’d like to establish a base at CWL in the past, but nows an odd time to announce it, right before the summer season begins. So who? bmibaby, TOM or FR could fly it from the winter, but I don’t know who or how anyone can start flying it from the end of April with the a/c they have available to them. Any ideas who?
By: Spence_CWL - 31st March 2006 at 12:14
[QUOTE=diesel1]Spence
If bmibaby had found it worthwhile operating a 737 to Paris then they would have continued to so. They didn’t so AWW operated the route and WW found a better use for the 737.
QUOTE]
Trust me there was enough capacity for the 737. This was at a time when babys plan was to open up as many bases as possible, even though they didn’t have enough aircraft to do it. At CWL they had the perfect partner in Air Wales to operate their routes so they could use the 737s to achieve their goal of more bases. They didn’t have this perfect willing partner at EMA, so CWL was the base that suffered. And if it was as unsuccessful as you say it is, why are they bringing back a double rotatuion using a 737. They wouldn’t unless they think it’ll work ,which quite clearly they do.
Great about Nice, shame they didn’t have it flying for this summer, and I’m guessing the French route will be Toulouse. I flew on this flight regularly and it was always full, I mean 100%. Ditching it the first time was perhaps the stupidest decision ever made by bmibaby. Yet again this was to increase capacity at MAN.
By: lbaspotter - 30th March 2006 at 18:58
Bmi regional could actully make a 4th daily rotation work at LBA using the CWL Slots at CDG. The Embrear 145 aircraft that use to work the Jersey rotation could work an late morning-mid-day return sector.
the bmi embrear fleet work as follows at LBA
MONDAY TO FRIDAY
AIRCRAFT 1 ERJ145
LBA-EDI-LBA
LBA-EDI-LBA
LBA-EDI-LBA
LBA-EDI-LBA
AIRCRAFT 2 ERJ145
LBA-GLA-LBA
LBA-CDG-LBA (This use to operate the Daily JER Run)
LBA-CDG-LBA
LBA-CDG-LBA
AIRCRAFT 3 ERJ145
LBA-CDG-LBA
LBA-GLA-LBA
LBA-GLA-LBA
AIRCRAFT 4 ERJ145
LBA-BRU-LBA
LBA-ORK-LBA
LBA-BRU-LBA
LBA-BRU-LBA
By: diesel1 - 30th March 2006 at 17:59
Spence
If bmibaby had found it worthwhile operating a 737 to Paris then they would have continued to so. They didn’t so AWW operated the route and WW found a better use for the 737.
Red Dragon
That would be good news, though with the Paris flights it’ll mean that in effect they’ll have to start all over again.
Any regular passengers on this route will no doubt be using BRS or BHX and WW will have to entice them back…
By: Humberside - 30th March 2006 at 10:23
I have it on good authority that the CDG slots have gone to BMI regional at Leeds for the summer.
So whats hapenned to existing CDG slots for the LBA-CDG flight?
By: Red Dragon - 29th March 2006 at 23:23
I have it on good authority that the CDG slots have gone to BMI regional at Leeds for the summer.
However !!
4th 737 to be based at Cwl for winter 06. Paris will be a double rotation once more , as will belfast. Nice will be introduced as will another french destination. 😉
By: Spence_CWL - 29th March 2006 at 18:06
The route could sustain a 737 and did for while before baby decided that they’d contract it to Air Wales to operate with ATRs with increased frequency, so they could use the spare 737 to help start up the MAN base.
By: diesel1 - 29th March 2006 at 15:11
Why would a low cost airline be sub-contracting? Surely this goes against the budget style of management/operating manner?
Risky business and sounds like to me that Bmi/baby are getting a wee bit desperate to keep going?
Nope.
Loads on the CWL-CDG at best required an ATR42 so this was a good way for bmibaby to develop the route.
No doubt at some point it would have reverted to a 737 as and when loads grew to a level where a 737 could be sustained
I suspect the route won’t return to CWL until a different airline takes it on……
By: murph - 29th March 2006 at 02:31
Why would a low cost airline be sub-contracting? Surely this goes against the budget style of management/operating manner?
Risky business and sounds like to me that Bmi/baby are getting a wee bit desperate to keep going?
By: DarrenBe - 28th March 2006 at 23:37
bmibaby published a schedule amendment yesterday (Mon 27th March) all flights CWL-CDG-CWL CANCELLED between 24th April and 28th October inclusive.
By: Red Dragon - 28th March 2006 at 18:37
Trust Me as an ex Air Wales Pilot the slots were baby’s given to them by mainline BMI who get them under exisiting “Grandfather Rights”. Just like LHR slots CDG slots come at a premium price and if you don’t use them you lose them !.This was the main reason we operated the flights with the “Baby Callsign” , they were not our flights we were just a sub charter.
Don’t be surprised to see Paris flights to suddenly be available on the Baby Website in the not to distance future , with a disclaimer saying the service will be operated by “such and such airline”.
Remember that all the Baby flights operated By Air Wales were only bookable from the Baby website they did all the marketing, etc we got i think 70% of the stated Fare . ( a sure fire way to lose money)
Failing that the slots will go back to BMI Mainline or to be operated from another Baby Base.
By: G-OJET - 28th March 2006 at 13:02
But you can’t book flights scheduled after the 23rd. And the slot wasn’t bmibabys, it was Air Wales’. When baby handed the route over to 6G to operate, they gave their slots to them as well. bmibaby was just like the booking agent, nothing more.
Maybe Air Wales will sell the slots back to baby then. I would imagine they could do with the cash! :rolleyes:
By: Spence_CWL - 28th March 2006 at 12:34
But you can’t book flights scheduled after the 23rd. And the slot wasn’t bmibabys, it was Air Wales’. When baby handed the route over to 6G to operate, they gave their slots to them as well. bmibaby was just like the booking agent, nothing more.
By: G-OJET - 28th March 2006 at 12:12
Totally agree with you.
I would put money on them subbing it out to Atlantic or probably even European Air Charter as they favour them a lot when the 737’s are in for maintenance.
Can’t see them loosing the slot at any cost.
I would’nt be surprised if BMI Baby operate it in the short term using aircraft sub chartered in , most likely someone like Air Atlantique.
The Important thing for baby is to continue to operate the route otherwise they lose the slots at CDG , which are worth their weight in gold.
By: Red Dragon - 27th March 2006 at 22:43
I would’nt be surprised if BMI Baby operate it in the short term using aircraft sub chartered in , most likely someone like Air Atlantique.
The Important thing for baby is to continue to operate the route otherwise they lose the slots at CDG , which are worth their weight in gold.
By: Humberside - 27th March 2006 at 18:12
I thought bmi baby where planning to operate the route themselves?
By: philgatwick05 - 27th March 2006 at 17:47
You may just be without!
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March 27, 2006 at 4:59 pm